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I sharply pointed my wand at Black. Stupefy, send to sleep, turned into a figurine, and putting it in a bag, I went to the exit. At the top of the pipe, leaning against a closed passage, opened it with Parseltongue. I checked the space around by Gomenum Revelio, applied a complex of hiding charms and ran, ran to the exit from Hogwarts.

As I ran to the main gate, I met McGonagall running nervously, but what surprised me was that Hogwarts' main gate was open. Perhaps someone had gone on patrol outside? Never mind. Running out of the castle, I ran to The Whomping Willow - the other approaches can and will be heavily guarded. Dementors.

Having reached the Willow and not seeing any pursuit or any other traces, I accelerated and strengthened myself with hemomancy to the maximum, rushing to the cave covered with snow. As if in slow motion, the tree came to life and its long branches, like whips, decided to either kill me or throw me aside. I ducked from one, dodged a vertical blow, immediately jumped up, and let a horizontal whip under me. A couple more jumps and maneuvers, and in a tackle, I literally fly into the cave.

Silence. Taking my wand out of my forearm holster, I conjured Lumos. Wasting no more time, I crept down the underground hole, bent over. The frozen earth was unpleasantly chilling my hand, but after a couple of minutes, I got out through the hatch in the floor. Dark and dusty room. Wooden floorboards creaked angrily underfoot, and a draft whined quietly from the neighboring rooms through the rickety walls. What's interesting is the lack of snow in the corners, which simply must have been there because of such drafts.

Having conjured Lumos Multima, several balls flew from the tip of the wand, softly illuminating the room and scattering around the corners, making the light uniform and filling the entire space. Taking out Black's statuette, I removed the spell from him but did not bind him again. He immediately jumped up and looked around.

"We've just been ..." Sirius looked at me. "An interesting spell ..."

I kept my eyes on him with my wand at the ready, aiming from the hip. In such an unnatural bluish light, the pale Black looked like a threat. I wanted to kill him immediately for my own safety.

"Ring."

"Rat ..."

"Ring," I said forcefully.

"Okay, okay, kid," Black grinned, but the madness in his eyes was still there.

Sirius looked around the room, the ancient and nearly destroyed bed, a wobbly wardrobe with half-open doors. With a confident step, slightly slouched over, he walked over to the closet and tried to move it.

"Give me a wand, boy."

I silently pulled my wand aside, pushing the closet aside with childish telekinesis. Still, with a wand, these childish tricks are somewhat stronger and easier. I did not even feel the outflow of magic.

"Strong ..."

Black knelt down and tried to rip the floorboard off. I tried with my heart, but without a result. He even hit it in anger.

"Give me a wand, boy."

He repeated like a broken record.

"Move away."

Black took a step back, and I began to shift so that I could see him and the floorboard at the same time.

"Further."

"Don't be paranoid, boy, he-he…" Black smiled at all thirty-two rotten teeth. A terrible picture, given the general appearance of a homeless person and tightly ingrained dirt on his face.

"I repeat for the last time."

"Got it, got it," Black put his arms out in a defensive gesture and started to back away from me in a way that wasn't comfortable for me. I glanced to where I wanted to see him, and he smirked and nodded in agreement.

I squatted down, keeping my eyes on Black, and practically touched the floorboard with my wand, letting the magic out and listening to what it felt like. It passed freely further under the floorboard but meeting some obstacle just below. Usually, when there are spells, the outside magic is either absorbed a little or, like water, wraps around the object. I got up and walked away a couple of steps, using telekinesis to move the floorboard out of place. It flew off to the side with a creak.

"Now me. You can't do it yourself," Black said, waiting for me to agree. I nodded, and Sirius slowly walked over to the open stash, crouched down, bit his finger, and smeared something under the floor with it. A couple of seconds, and just as slowly, Sirius pulled out a small box, placing it next to him on the floor. So that I could see, he opened it, and among a couple of papers and a seemingly full bag, he took out a ring with a black stone.

"First, the rat. I still own it, and you can't take it from a corpse. Only voluntarily. Or a duel, but you won't give me a wand, boy?" Black grinned.

"Answer a couple of questions. I know that you threw it away, and I was ready to bargain even for information about where exactly. Why is it here? "

"Threw it away? No-no-no, I could not. You have to try hard to get rid of it. James and I ... we..." Black almost slipped from reality into memories. "We were looking for a way. And this hut ... Hogwarts ... Memory of the best and dangerous pranks ..."